Monday, June 05, 2017

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Privately owned apartments near the
Middle Tennessee State University campus will be the focus of a strategy
announced Wednesday by Murfreesboro leaders that will step up patrols and
increase landlord accountability.

City
Manager Rob Lyons said Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and other City
officials met Tuesday “with the apartment complex managers with the highest
call for police service to advise them that the situation must improve and they
need to play a significant role.”

Lyons
shared several options the City would like complex owners to implement. “One
successful technique is implementing a lease provision that requires immediate
termination of a lease if a resident or guest at an apartment complex is
arrested on a drug or violence-related offense.” Another tactic, Lyons added,
would be aggressive and timely towing of vehicles without proper resident or
visitor identification.

The increased saturation patrols and
additional investigations come amidst an uptick in gun-related incidents at
off-campus complexes since mid-2016. Many lower-cost units in those
complexes are rented by the bedroom, not as a full apartment, and are available
to students and non-students.

The City also revealed it will create an
inspection and awareness program. Scheduled to be launched this summer, the
program will give potential renters and citizens more tools to identify multi-family
properties that are actively working with Murfreesboro Police to deter criminal
activity.

Murfreesboro and MTSU police officers will
be made available to inspect security measures and practices in place at
apartment complexes. Facilities that meet certain criteria and implement recommended
best practices for safety would qualify for a special emblem that could be
displayed to prospective tenants.

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The City will maintain an online site of
complexes who earn recognition in this program. The site will include other
information, including crime data and links to digital maps, now already
available through CrimeMapping.com, that show reported incidents by area.

“Maintaining
a safe, family-friendly community is perhaps the major asset of our growing
community,” said McFarland. “I want to assure our residents, parents and
students of MTSU that we are working diligently to address the problem so
Murfreesboro citizens and visitors feel safe and the community’s positive image
is protected.”

Meanwhile,
MTSU administration said it will remind and reinforce to students that its Code
of Conduct can apply to off-campus behavior. Local law enforcement will have the
option to refer cases to the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs and
Mediation Services for review.

The
University will also share information on the city’s pending apartment data
website as part of its new student orientation and will encourage newcomers to
look for the city’s safety emblem before deciding on an off-campus residence.

“Our
university appreciates and shares the priority placed by Mayor McFarland and
his administration for the safety of our entire community,” said MTSU President
Sidney A. McPhee. “We have worked closely with the city on this issues, as well
as this recent strategy, and we will continue to partner with them in
implementation.”

Following
the May 4 shooting death at Student Quarters Apartments on Greenland Drive,
Murfreesboro Police has saturated off-campus apartment sites with additional
patrols on overtime shifts. As a result, about 200 charges were issued for
offenses that include intoxication, assault and gunfire.

MPD’s Violent
Crime Unit identified a suspect in the homicide of Jessie Buford, 23. An arrest
was made with the Tennessee Highway Patrol on May 6 and the suspect was charged
with first-degree murder.

MPD Chief
Karl Durr said his department is leveraging resources from state and federal
agencies with intelligence gathering by the city’s Vice, Narcotics, Gang and
Violent Crime units. Durr said those efforts, combined with ongoing work, will
help the City demand greater responsibility and engagement by apartment complex
owners and managers.

“We are
working tirelessly to apprehend those who bring violence and gunfire to our
City,” Durr said. “The collaborative enforcement includes working with our
partners at MTSU Police, TBI, FBI, ATF, DEA and both the District and U.S. Attorney’s
Office to share information pertinent to effectively combating crime.”

Lyons said
the City has already taken several steps to address the problem through
ordinance.In November 2016, the City
Council adopted an unruly gathering ordinance to combat shootings and the high
level of service calls at apartment complexes.

Under the
ordinance, the City can levy civil penalties of $250 for a first violation, and
$500 for a second and subsequent violation, for “a party or gathering where
alcohol is served or

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consumed,”
and “where there is a sufficient number of attendees that an officer reasonably
believes the host cannot directly control behavior of attendees.”

If a minor
is cited, the property owner is subject to the penalty. The appeals process
also provides the City Manager with administrative authority to consider
whether the property owner has taken “measures to prevent or discourage” unruly
gatherings, including “hiring on-site security” and “imposing strict behavior
standards in the rental agreement.”

The
University recommends on-campus housing as the best residential option for
students, especially for freshmen, said MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster. The
latest campus crime statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation show drops
in most major categories.

However,
when considering an off-campus housing option, the University urges students
and parents to see and inspect such units in person before making a commitment,
he said.

“Be advised
that some complexes put forward marketing that use works like ‘campus’ and
‘university,’ but the University does not have any role in the operation or
management of those off-campus facilities,” he said.

MTSU’s
Police Department employs 44 full-time police officers, five full-time
dispatchers and about 20 part-time student workers. It operates around the
clock to protect the 500-plus-acre University campus.